Corona Virus; Tips and info

[sadie]

Lots of us have worries about the Covid-19 virus, so thought that a new thread in this section might be useful.

Our daughter who is like a "Mother Hen" to us , especially atm, is medical.   She has been stood down because of the extra dangers to dentists and she is scouring the internet for tips and info.  We are getting at least 6 emails per day at present.  She also is full of ideas herself.

[sadie]

Tip 1



Keep your right pocket for new sterile gloves/99% wipes  etc


In your left pocket keep a small polythene bag. 


All used gloves wipes etc go into there, unless a suitable bin is available


Then bin it immediately.


wash your hands, or sterilize them immediately

[sadie]

Tip 2

When washing your hands do it vigourously ... and do it thoroughly, between the fingers and he backs of the hand, undr the nails if possible


Sing the song 'Happy Birthday to me' twice through ... and that should be sufficient time to do a good job


If you have it, a drop of 99.9% sanitiser wouldn't go amiss, particularly if you are a bit worried about having touched something

[sadie]

Tip 3


Make your home and your car virus free areas, so that you can touch anything safely in either place


If around and about, as your leave the house pull the door closed with either the key or with fresh gloved hands. 


Open the car door with gloves on (unless the handle has been freshly sanitised).  Take the gloves off turning them inside out, before getting in the car and immediately put them in a plastic bag or similar for contaminated stuff.  Dispose of these items asap.


Upon reaching the shops, put clean gloves on and depart the door in a sterile manner.  You might want to put on a face mask at this time but bear in mind that

i)   the masks are only good for about 20 minutes, when they become saturatd.  I don't know whether this is true of more advanced masks
ii)  Other peoples sneezing can still land on you.


If you have, or may have, the virus, or any signs ... and absolutely must go out ... then it is imperative you put the face mask on and if posssible change it regularly for the safety of others and to slow down the progress of of the virus


These masks are far more use for keeping coughs and sneezes/ virus to the already affected wearer than they are to people who are free of the virus

Take the trolley back.  You have been wearing clean gloves so little need to wipe the trolley handle.



Open the car boot and doors electronically if possible cos it is imperative that the interior of the car remains a safe zone.  Have a special designated box/s inside .  Everything foodwise or shopping wise goes in there.


Before getting into the car, but with the door open take your gloves off, turning them inside out and one glove encapsulated into the other.  Straight into the plastic bag in your left pocket or a designated plastic bag in the car



There is a special technique for taking both gloves off without touching the possibly contaminated outer surface, but I haven't the energy atm to go thru that.




I feel that I have missed bits here, but I think that you will get the gist.   Keep contamination out of your car and house.  Take used gloves off before entering either, then you have two safe zones and your car is effectively an extension to your virus free home.

[sadie]

Tip 4

Try and buy in small lots then you can pay by the special none contact device on your card.   You dont want to be touching buttons or keying in numbers on pads, which will become infected.  Go in several times and buy in small lots unless you are wearing special gloves. 


Neither do you want to be handling dirty cash.
 


Try and buy when shops are quiet, with no-one to infect you.  They say that at 2 metres, you are safe, but if you are short or in a wheelchair, maybe keep a little further away from the nearest person if you can

[sadie]

Tip 5


It is possible to make your ownn sterilizing solution.  Am too tired atm., but it is on the internet.  Perhaps someone can look it up for me and post it

[sadie]

Tip 6


We have a couple of designated boxes in the garage.  Everything that comes in, food or parcels etc., goes in there for 3-4 days, before we touch it.

We dont know if this is long enough but hopefully it is;



We have a camping/ caravanning fridge.   chiller stuff goes in there for a period.



Unfortunately we dont know if freezing or heat kills it or even maybe encourages it.  After all it flourished in China which is pretty cold in places and also in the Dolomites of Northern Italy.



Bread and the Royal mail post are both a bit tricky but we eat the bread after one or two days, keeping it in isolation until then.   Hubby is quite good at getting into the envelopes and reaching the letters without touching anything nsty.

[sadie]

Tip 7

A How-To Guide for the Removal (Doffing) of Disposable Gloves:

i)    Pinch and hold the outside of the glove near the wrist area.

ii)   Peel downwards, away from the wrist, turning the glove inside out.

iii)   Pull the glove away until it is removed from the hand and hold the inside-out glove with the gloved hand.

iv)   With your un-gloved hand, slide your finger/s under the wrist of the remaining glove, taking care not to touch the outside of the glove.

v)    Again, peel downwards, away from the wrist, turning the glove inside out.

vi)    Continue to pull the glove down and over the inside-out glove being held in your gloved hand.

vii)   This will ensure that both gloves are inside out, one glove enveloped inside the other, with no contaminant on the bare hands.

[sadie]

Tip 8


Order in food.  There is now a waiting list certainly at some supermarkets. 


We had some delivered from Morrisons about 3 days ago and we had to wait nearly 5 days then.  I believe that the delivery waiting times have increased considerably since then, so I suggest you book your slot asap and gradually add food to your list in the waiting period


Get your isolation boxes ready before they come.  Ours are in the garage. and a camping fridge for isolating chilled meals. bacon, cheese and bread, so we only order in freezer stuff that we can thaw out gradually in the fridge for us to eat in the next 3 days or so


Our freezer is absolutely full, mainly with ready meals

[sadie]

There are more tips, but can't think of them at present ... and I am ready for a snooze.


Hope these help


Please add your own tips / info

[sadie]

Tip 9


OK so you are in a place that might have Corona virus on the surfaces and you have your plastic/rubber gloves on.  you are safe.



Trouble is that you keep absent mindedly touching your face, rubbing your nose or eyes etc.   That action is transferring the virus to you directly from off your gloves.



Try rubbing your gloves on a cut onion.    As you bring the gloves near your face, the smell of the onion will remind you what you are doing ... and stop you 


 

[sadie]

Tip 10


As this problem might go on for months, how about growing your own veggies?


Veggies are difficult to handle keeping free from the virus and some not easy to wash proprly.   Grown in your own back garden or maybe even on your balcony, they will be free of coronovrus and absolutely fresh



Keep chickens / ducks and feed your scraps to them.  In return they will give you their eggs.   ducks like a pond tho and will mess your garden up with slippery patches tho'


... but they are lots of fun to watch .... and you are going to have plenty of watching time methinks.


I can't think of any more tips.  Maybe more will come to mind.


Hope these help you.



Please add your tips.  Any new info would be welcome.

[Anthro]

Thank you for sharing, Sadie. Our President, Mr Ramaphosa has just announced the following: it is a national disaster; no travelling to high risk countries; no passports to be issued; gatherings of more than 100 people are forbidden; all festivals are cancelled, including sport, culture etc.; schools are closing on Wednesday and the vacation has been extended to 14 April, until after Easter; Universities will also close until further notification. A week ago we had 4 confirmed cases of the virus and today it is 61.

[sadie]

Thank you for sharing, Sadie. Our President, Mr Ramaphosa has just announced the following: it is a national disaster; no travelling to high risk countries; no passports to be issued; gatherings of more than 100 people are forbidden; all festivals are cancelled, including sport, culture etc.; schools are closing on Wednesday and the vacation has been extended to 14 April, until after Easter; Universities will also close until further notification. A week ago we had 4 confirmed cases of the virus and today it is 61.

I think it is increasing exponentially, is it not?   Frightening




The above is an exponential curve showing how the deaths increase very slowly to begin with but rapidly increase in little time.

Rather like a Cape Canaveral rocket taking off for the moon.  To begin with it climbs very slowly, then almost suddenly picks up speed until it is shooting off into the sky at incredible speeds.

[sadie]

Thank you for sharing, Sadie. Our President, Mr Ramaphosa has just announced the following: it is a national disaster; no travelling to high risk countries; no passports to be issued; gatherings of more than 100 people are forbidden; all festivals are cancelled, including sport, culture etc.; schools are closing on Wednesday and the vacation has been extended to 14 April, until after Easter; Universities will also close until further notification. A week ago we had 4 confirmed cases of the virus and today it is 61.

I wish that we were taking a stronger stance.

After all we all know that 'a stitch in time saves nine.'


I feel so sorry for all that are losing their jobs and incomes.  My friend is off to Oz at the beginning of April to visit her daughter.  Personally I think she is crazy, but it is her life and decision.   None of my business.